


LARPing - more like Live Action Romantic Partner!

by TuppingLiberty



Series: TLIb AU August 2018 [1]
Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: AU August, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Eugene still has a prosthetic, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-15 17:36:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15418095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: AU Yeah August Day 1: Eugene is surprised to see Jack, his LARPing friend, at a party.AU Yeah August first came from this blog: https://lnc2.tumblr.com/post/174925809860/au-yeah-august. I decided to make my own calendar of prompts using this wonderful blog post: http://perfectlyrose.tumblr.com/post/101118660910/au-prompts-masterlist-of-lists. I randomized the lists, then pulled a prompt from each list for 31 days.Today’s prompt is from the list: http://mraculous.tumblr.com/post/148950146365/weve-all-heard-of-the-fake-dating-trope-but-have .  The prompt is: ‘a mutual friend tried to introduce us, but we already knew each other from LARPing but we’re both too embarrassed to admit that so i jokingly said we used to date and oh god now our friend wont stop interrogating us about it’ au





	LARPing - more like Live Action Romantic Partner!

“Come on then, Eugene, you’ve barely been out. Come get to know your new country and all that.” Sara tugs on his arm, pulling him away from the corner of the party where he's been checking his phone out of social awkwardness about every ten seconds. 

“I visited the British Museum, isn’t that ‘getting to know the country’?”

“That’s hardly _our_ country, now is it?” She thrusts a cup of beer at him. “C’mon, I want you to meet someone, he’s hilarious.”

When Eugene gives her a stern look, Sara just rolls her eyes and drags him along. And okay, so maybe he hasn’t gone to any parties here in London, but he has gotten _out,_ it’s not like he’s been a recluse. He has to go to physio, after all, for his leg, and the other exercise the therapist suggested, the exercise that’s sort of taken over his life. He spends practically all of his extra money and time on LARPing now; his physical therapist likes that he’s learning to traverse over rough ground, and he likes that he gets to let his nerd side out while getting exercise. And it’s fucking fun, to be honest. Like improv theater, but more to his style. And not performing for anyone, or anything. Just the audience of his fellow LARPers.

Sara pulls up to a stop abruptly, in front of a guy that’s a little on the short side but broad. Like, rugby player broad. Eugene takes about two seconds to admire how his shoulders fill out his Manchester United jersey nicely, when he realizes with a start that he’s admired those shoulders before. Under chain mail. He gasps in a breath quietly as Sara reaches out to tap one of those magnificent shoulders. “Eugene, this is-”

“Jack?” Taken aback, Eugene takes a large swallow of beer as Jack Holden turns to greet them, all bright cheeks and even brighter eyes.

He’d met Jack months ago at his first LARP outing. Jack’s a warrior, swinging around heavy weapons like he’s built for it (he _is,_ though, is the thing). Eugene’s a mage, relying more on his throwing capability because of his leg. He wouldn’t say he and Jack are close friends or anything, but they often go out for a pint after an outing with the rest of their party.

Hence why the world’s worst nickname comes spilling out of Jack’s lips.  

“Eugenie! What? I did _not_ know that you knew Sara!” Jack pulls Sara into a huge hug, which makes her laugh and cuff him lightly - maybe not so lightly, the way he groans - on the shoulder.

Except now Sara is looking back and forth between the two of them, that bloodhound look on her face as she mouths what looks suspiciously like ‘Eugenie?’ And Sara doesn’t know about the LARPing and would make fun of him for probably the rest of his life if she found out-

“Jack’s my ex,” Eugene blurts out, then immediately curses himself in his head.

Sara narrows her eyes, opening her mouth, but Jack cuts her off, looking all nonchalant and not like Eugene’s pants should be on fire at the magnitude of the fib he just told. “Right. Ex. I probably don’t have the privilege of calling you Eugenie anymore, huh? Except it used to drive you so bonkers, I kind of can’t help it now.” He flashes them a cheeky grin.

“This certainly seems amicable.” Sara’s playing with the rim of her cup, still looking suspicious.

Eugene, meanwhile, is trying to take in the fact that not only did Jack immediately get what was going on, but he’d managed to “Yes, and-” Eugene _brilliantly._ Guess the improv of LARPing really did come in handy. “Uh, yeah, no broken hearts. It was more of the, um, distance thing?”

“Jack only lives like, a K away from you, Eugene.”

“Right, well, um, it was the fact that he’s going back to Canada, and all. I can’t do the long distance thing. We thought it was best to just avoid the whole extended break up thing before we got too committed.” Jack looks rather pleased with himself for coming up with this story on the fly, even though it’s complete and utter bullshit and is never going to hold up in the Court of Sara.

“You can’t have been that committed, Eugen _ie,_ you told me you weren’t dating,” Sara points out, her eyes going even narrower, somehow.

“What’s with the interrogation? What are you, a secret agent or something?” Eugene laughs weakly; Jack joins him out of solidarity.

“I just am trying to figure out where you had the time to meet, date, _and_ break up amicably with Jack Holden, world’s largest nerd.”

“Hey!” Jack immediately protests.

Eugene just lifts a brow, though, holding out his beer for Jack and crossing his arms at Sara, edging a little in front of Jack as if protecting him. “World’s largest nerd? I’ll have you know he’s a gentleman-”

“-and a scholar!” Jack adds from behind him. Eugene can hear the smile in his voice.

“And a scholar, whatever, and I’m very sad that we decided the long distance thing wasn’t going to work out because I enjoyed my time with him, so can we please stop making this all awkward and just, like, move on? Possibly out of this party?”

Sara looks over Eugene’s shoulder, up at Jack, back and forth between them. Then, she bursts out in a grin. “Okay, yeah. Sorry, mate. Eugene only gets that fiercely protective over something he cares about, so I had to see if he would for you. And _now,_ I’m going to leave you two alone to sort that shit out because obviously, things are unsettled.” She gives them a little “cheers” with her cup and slides away.

Eugene turns back to Jack, cheeks flaming. “Um- sorry. And thanks.”

“No problem. Have to protect my mage, after all. You’re so squishy in that cloth armor.” Jack takes a sip of Eugene’s beer, then hands it back.

“Thank god LARPing got us all ready for improv. That was, uh, some quick thinking.”

Eugene reaches out, not exactly sure what he means to do, but probably pat Jack’s arm or something. Instead, Jack reaches out too, and takes his hand.

“Uh-” Eugene’s cheeks go even hotter.

“You only get worked up about stuff you care about? So when you basically got yourself knocked out saving me from that dragon, that was…?”

Jack’s fingers are playing over Eugene’s thumb. “Uh. I plead the fifth?”

Jack grins. “I think that’s the US, not Canada.” He comes in a little closer, crowding into Eugene’s space a little. “Is this okay?”

“Uh-”   _Yes, and, Eugene! YES, AND!_ “Yes.” He smiles shyly. “And, um,” he stoops a little to press a kiss to Jack’s cheek. “Is that?”

“Yes.” Jack squeezes his hand. “Want to get out of here?”

“Yes.” Eugene sets his cup down and starts pulling Jack out of the party.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you like this, please check out my other stuff! :) Comments and Kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> Also feel free to join me in AU august. You are welcome to any of the prompts I use - would love if you leave a comment letting me know you wrote it so I can check it out! 
> 
> Happy August!


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